What The Falafel

In the most powerful episode to date, Jodie Brandman sits down with Ofir Amir, Co-founder, producer, and survivor of the Nova Festival. Before October 7th, Ofir was building an incredible community alongside music festivals, all promoting connection and kindness at the core. At 6.29am on October 7th, everything changed. Fleeing from the Nova massacre, Ofir was shot by terrorists and had to watch o...

In this episode of What The Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with Romy Kosher for a food filled chat! From discussing how Romy went Kosher in Israel to what excites her about kosher London restaurants, you do NOT want to watch this when you’re hungry!! We also find out all about Romy’s life supporting families with dementia, and her plans for travelling the world eating! → Podcast Instagram: http...

In this episode of What The Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with writer, comedian and author, Max Olesker. In this laugh-out-loud conversation, Max shares how falling in love led to an Orthodox Jewish conversion complete with moving into a religious family's home in Hendon and a bris at the age of 36! We cover his gruelling journey with the Beth Din, his pro-wrestling and comedic career, and his...

In this hilarious episode of What The Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with Jewish comedian and content creator Candy Gigi for a whole hour of laughter! We cover everything from feeling like a misfit in school, to auditioning for West End shows and spitting out vegetables during a live comedy performance. This one you do NOT want to miss! → Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wtfalafelpo...

In this episode of What The Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with Cat Young from Balagan to chat about everything from going frum to starting a kosher restaurant! Cat had no idea she was going to be a podcast guest until about 3 minutes before filming when she was put on the sofa with a mic! Hear how she threw away her skinny jeans in favour of a sheitel and how her husband was bundled off to Yes...

In this episode of What The Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with Karen Cinnamon, founder of Smashing The Glass and Your Jewish Life. We cover everything from how and why she set up her incredible businesses (from wedding blogs to Jewish Joy Journals), why rituals and values are so important, and why she believes inclusivity has been the deal breaker in her work. Karen is so passionate about ever...

In this hilarious episode of What The Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with comedian Yechiel Jacobs for a chat that covers SO much ground! From his time in yeshiva, to turning his political anger into humour, Yechiel shows us how you can make the world a better place and spread light even in the darkest of times. 🎧 Tune in for truth, strength, and a reminder that we all have a voice that matters...

In this intense and POWERFUL episode, Jodie Brandman sits down with Golan Horesh, a fitness coach who went viral after confronting an anti-Israel protest and later survived a deadly heart attack! We talk about why you should NEVER be afraid, and the shocking moment that changed his life forever. From a shocking heart attack that left him unconscious, to waking up 2 weeks later and re-thinking his...

This week on What The Falafel, Jodie Brandman is joined by the unbelievably talented Josh Halmer AKA Falmer! Chef, DJ, artist, basically everything… and the man who once got death threats… for making a schnitzel! We get into his entire journey: how he he got the name "Falmer", going from DJ'ing to cooking for Premier League footballers, why he trained as a chef purely to travel the world for free,...

In this episode of What the Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with Adam Lind to talk all things boat life, adventure and mindset! After losing his dad, Adam spent years hitchhiking across the world, exploring human kindness, the limits of his own mind, and what it means to truly live a free life! We talk about everything from breaking out of the “Jewish bubble” and questioning identity, to mental...

In this special Halloween- themed episode, Jodie Brandman sits down with the incredible Emma Kingston, currently starring as Elphaba in Wicked the Musical (yes, the actual green witch herself!) We talk about everything from Emma’s early obsession with singing and her rise through the world of theatre, to what it’s really like behind the scenes at Wicked. She shares her experience performing in Evi...

What does it mean to stay proud, grounded, and hopeful as a Jew today?! In this powerful episode, Jonny Daniels sits down with Jodie Brandman to talk about everything from antisemitism in the UK and the current political climate around Israel, to the deeper question of what keeps us connected to our faith and culture. We dive into Jonny’s life story… from the experiences and mentors who have shape...

What does it take to make a match that lasts? In this episode FULL of Jewish joy, Jodie Brandman sits down with Aleeza Ben Shalom, Netflix’s Jewish Matchmaker, to explore why matchmaking matters more than ever! We talk about Aleeza's journey to Netflix, why EVERY community needs a matchmaker, what values couples should look for when choosing a partner, and how to create Shalom Bayit (peace in the...

In this episode of What The Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with travel content creator Nicky Kelvin who shares insights into his life as a travel lover and aviation geek! We chat about the realities of being a content creator, his amazing experiences living in Israel, and his journey with Crohn's disease. Nicky also opens up about his identity as a gay Jewish guy and how important it is to be y...

In this powerful episode of What the Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with Dov Forman… one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Content Creators, author, activist, and Holocaust educator… to talk about his family legacy, and what it means to use your voice for good! Dov shares the story of his incredible great-grandmother, Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert, and how their work together has sparked global co...

In this episode of What The Falafel, Jodie sits down with the brilliant Hen Mazzig... author, speaker, and activist... to talk Pride, the complexities of being a gay Mizrahi Jew, the rise in antisemitism… and of course, food (because what else?)! Hen opens up about coming out in the IDF, his humanitarian work in the military, and the emotional toll of war. They chat about cultural identity, Mizrah...

In this episode of What the Falafel, I'm joined by the brilliant Ben Rebuckm content creator, foodie, and proud Jew! We had an exclusive chat about everything from his shift out of veganism, and covered topics from navigating body image and mental health, to the wild world of content creation and being on TV, all through a Jewish lens! Ben opens up about antisemitism, identity, and what it really...

In this episode of What the Falafel, I sit down with the one and only Zach Margolin... a hilarious Jewish comedian who somehow makes hiding in bomb shelters sound like stand-up material! We dive into what it was like being in Israel during the war, why he swapped real estate for comedy (spoiler: thank G-d he did), and how he uses humour to bring joy during seriously unfunny times. We chat Jewish i...

In this first EVER episode of What the Falafel, Jodie Brandman sits down with the bold and brilliant Elaine Chaya... the fashion blogger-turned-activist who’s as passionate about her Persian heritage as she is about empowering the next gen! Elaine talks about what it's like growing up in a traditional Iranian-Jewish household and then doing the exact opposite of what was expected... skipping Pre-m...